Monday 31 October 2011

Another very mild night 14.0c resulted in 10 moths: 3 November Moths (agg.), Large Wainscot, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Yellow-line Quaker, Dark Chestnut & 2 Light Brown Apple Moths. The Large Wainscot was much the smallest one I've seen-WL 18mm. Looking back to the start of the year, the 1st new macro species was Yellow Horned recorded on 23rd of February. This record was part of my best ever start to year which produced 10 species before the end of February-some years I get nothing before March.

Yellow Horned

Sunday 30 October 2011

A very mild night 12.5c only produced 3 moths: Yellow-line Quaker, Dark Chestnut, and Large Wainscot. Someone else mentioned that Large Wainscots were having a good year. This was my 10th record in 12 years. However, 5 of these have been this month.

Large Wainscot

Saturday 29 October 2011


Just 4 moths last night: Dark Chestnut, Large Wainscot, Turnip & Common Plume. It's been a good year for Dark Chestnut with 3 this autumn. I've only had 7 altogether with 4 records in 2006-the only other year I've recorded them. The Chestnut has been much more common with 26 in total, including 8 this year. 

Dark Chestnut

Friday 28 October 2011


A mild calm night produced 6 moths this morning: 2 Yellow-line Quaker, Shuttle-shaped Dart, November Moth (agg.), Spruce Carpet & Red-green Carpet. This last species was my 6th garden record & new for the year for me. Also the 1st since April 2009. Year total now 284 (187 macros + 97micros).

Red-green Carpet
Spruce Carpet

Thursday 27 October 2011



Four moths in the trap this morning: 3 Yellow-line Quakers and The Brick. The latter was the 2nd this month and the 4th garden record. However, the first 2 were in 2000 & 2002. 


Wednesday 26 October 2011

I've had help from someone in the Garden Moth Scheme (see link), who has identified the moth below as 1041 Acleris sparsana. I'm sure this is correct.


It was very wet last night with a thunderstorm as well. I was surprised to find a moth in the trap which I think is Oak Nycteoline. I had my first one of these earlier in the year but it was a much easier specimen to identify. The wing length of the one in the picture below was 11mm. It seems to have the characteristic long palps.
Any comments welcome.


Tuesday 25 October 2011


Something very unusual last night in East Kent-it rained! Just 2 moths in the trap this morning: The Chestnut & Yellow-lined Quaker. Reflecting on the year, my best record was probably Metalampra italica on 28th July, which I believe was the 2nd Kent record (see picture). I had another on 21st August.


Monday 24 October 2011

Slightly disappointed with nothing in the trap this morning-the night was mild but I guess too windy. However, it's been a good autumn with my first ever records of Orange Sallow (300th macro species for the garden list) & Pink-barred Sallow, both pictured below.



Sunday 23 October 2011

2370 Twin-spotted Wainscot (Archanara geminipuncta)

A milder night produced 4 moths in the trap this morning: Silver Y, Large Wainscot, Angle Shades & Green-brindled Crescent. As I've just started this blog, I thought I might mention some of the new species I've seen in the garden this year. I've been trapping here since March 2000 but have had 10 new macros this year. One of these was the Twin-spotted Wainscot.

Saturday 22 October 2011

1795/6/7 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)

After a blank yesterday I had 2 "November" Moths and a White-Shouldered House-moth this morning, following another cold night.

Thursday 20 October 2011

Peter Maton's photostream

Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa)1795/6/7 November Moth agg. (Epirrita sp.)2375 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa)2375 Large Wainscot (Rhizedra lutosa)2272 Barred Sallow (Xanthia aurago)
Vine's Rustic (Hoplodrina ambigua)2270 Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa)112264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta)1745 The Mallow (Larentia clavaria)2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula)2259 Dark Chestnut (Conistra ligula)
2263 Red-line Quaker ( Agrochola iota)2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae)2245 Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae)2262 The Brick (Agrochola circellaris)2264 Yellow-line Quaker (Agrochola macilenta)2091 Dark Sword-grass (Agrotis ipsilon)
Speckled Bush-cricket (f) (Leptophyes punctatissima)2240 Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri)2256 The Satellite (Eupsilia transversa)2259 The Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)2274 The Sallow  (Xanthia icteritia)2273 Pink-barred Sallow (Xanthia togata)
My wildlife photos can also be viewed on my Flickr Site where I have 1199 images.

Moths this year


I have been running my 6W actinic Heath trap for 12 seasons now. Despite the funny summer this has been my best year so far by far with moth 284 species in the garden (187 macros and 97 micros), compared with my previous best (last year) when I had 268 (180 macros and 88 micros), and the year’s not quite over yet. I’ve had 31 new species this year-10 macros and 21 micros. I was particularly pleased to finally record Peach Blossom, Oak Nycteoline and Oak Hook-tip for the first time in the summer, and Pink-barred Sallow & Orange Sallow which were new ones this Autumn. 

Peach Blossom